Although typical display screens for electronic devices are physically two-dimensional (2D), three-dimensional (3D) content may also be presented by electronic devices, such as to mimic real life scenarios. Accordingly, 3D content has become increasingly more popular and common. However, the steady emergence of 3D content as a prevalent media type has surfaced a number of problems that are faced when working with 3D data. Although solutions for rendering 3D content have matured, software that can simplify the process of creating and editing 3D content continues to elude programmers, even in the presence of decades of research.
One continuing innovative force in the 3D space has been the gaming industry. Researchers have explored a number of technologies that enable people to create and modify in-game content. In one example, participants can build virtual worlds with 3D modeling tools. To be popular, these modeling tools must be simple to use yet offer enough variation to give the participating creator a sense of ownership of the resulting virtual world. Because many game modeling systems are based on templates or institute strict parameters, such game modeling systems typically reduce or control the variability of the models that can be produced.
An alternative approach has been taken recently with the advent of modeling 3D worlds using cubes. These cubes are covered or painted with different textures, such as stone, water, trees, or grass. Gaming or modeling participants can create entire 3D virtual worlds by stacking and otherwise positioning the textured cubes in a 3D grid. A popular version of this type of “modeling game” is called MINECRAFT. By adopting this relatively simplified approach, MINECRAFT enables easy 3D modeling and content creation for people of all ages. A truly engaging aspect of such modeling games is the ability to create 3D digital worlds that a participant can fully customize and electronically inhabit by virtually moving around the 3D digital world. The success of these kinds of modeling games has been enormous and provides empirical evidence that 3D content creation can be brought to the masses in an easy and engaging way.
Using textured cubes and a 3D grid facilitates the 3D creation process. Unfortunately, these same strategies also limit the scope of the types of shapes that can be modeled and therefore reduce the level of realism that is attainable. For example, with a digital world that is built using cubes and a 3D grid, participants cannot create curved organic forms or angled planes. Instead, a virtual world is effectively built with vertical and horizontal planes that produce perpendicular lines, which also results in a jagged appearance for much of the virtual world. This perpendicular lines and jagged appearance lowers the realism and beauty of the virtual worlds that participants spend so many hours creating.